Best Cities for LGBT Seniors: #8 – Portland, Oregon

Portland is a center of progressivism and tolerance and is home to the second largest per capita LGBT population in the country, behind only San Francisco. The city has long protected its gay and lesbian residents from discrimination and it has for many years been known as a warm and welcoming place for same-sex families to reside. It is also home toÃ‚Â SAGE Metro Portland, a community group that offers education, advocacy, and outreach to older members of the local gay community.

Portland also scores highly due to its low cost of living relative to other large West Coast cities. It is a very health-conscious town with a heavy focus on nutritional food and outdoor living, so it’s no surprise that residents tend to live longer than in other similar sized cities.

For full details on the SeniorScoreÃ¢â€žÂ¢ for Portland, clickÃ‚Â here.

Retirees from all walks of life want to settle down in a place that is fun and inviting, but also affordable and accommodating to the needs of older people. Members of the LGBT community have to be even more selective. Even in 2016 not all cities in America are particularly welcoming to those living “non-traditional” lifestyles and only a few select places have thriving social environments for LGBT residents.

Using SeniorScoreÃ¢â€žÂ¢, an unbiased, data-driven algorithm that determines the most accommodating places in America for seniors, we have determined the best cities in the country for retirees who identify with the LGBT community. The SeniorScoreÃ¢â€žÂ¢ evaluates over 100 variables across multiple categories that are pertinent to an area’s older residents, including access to healthcare, social and recreational activities, general affordability, safety, quality of environment, and more. Additionally, we analyzed the overall LGBT populations per capita for each city, the presence of gay-friendly social environments, support for gay-owned businesses, and the overall level of tolerance and legal protection of the communities.